Zero
by TsubakiTwilight
Summary: A few months after Tsuna's flames are sealed; he begins to hear a voice in his head. For the past eight years, this voice has been guiding and helping Tsuna through the obstacles and heartaches of life. "You should punch those smug, overconfident smirks off their faces and shove their egos right up their as-" AU! Rated T for language!
1. Chapter 1

A few months after Tsuna's flames are sealed; he begins to hear a voice in his head. For the past ten years, this voice has been guiding and helping Tsuna through the obstacles and heartaches of life. "You should punch those smug, overconfident smirks off their faces and shove their egos right up their as-"

 **I.**

The day after Sawada Iemitsu and Grandpa Timoteo leave the Sawada Household, young Sawada Tsunayoshi comes down with a fever.

He is bedridden for all of one day before getting better and returning to school.

Life continues for the sleepy town of Namimori, Japan.

 **II.**

It is a bright sunny morning when Tsuna's life is forever changed.

He wakes up, trips and falls at _least_ twice before eating breakfast and leaving for school; he is then chased by the neighbor's dog before arriving to school five minutes late when he is promptly 'bitten to death' by – self-proclaimed 'Namimori's Demon Prefect'. After escaping the clutches of the prefect, Tsuna hobbles his way to class where he is called out by the teacher for being late – causing Tsuna's classmates to ridicule him – and for failing the most recent test. Once the class settles down, Tsuna is called on to answer every question the teacher has – which Tsuna answers incorrectly, as usual – until lunch rolls around.

During lunch period, Tsuna has his food taken away as 'payment' by some of the older students and is forced to go without food for the rest of day. When class resumes, the teacher continues to call on Tsuna to answer questions he definitely _does not_ have the answer to causing his classmates to laugh and jeer at him more than usual. Finally, when the school day is over and when the brunet finally thinks this day can't get any worse, Tsuna is accosted outside of school and has his allowance stolen by his classmates as a 'toll' for walking down 'their street'.

Exhausted, bruised, and starving, Tsuna manages to limp his way home, up the stairs, and into his bedroom where he collapses onto his bed.

"… This is the absolute _worst_ day ever…" He mutters into his pillow.

"… _You know, I can't stay quiet anymore! You, Kid, are absolutely_ pathetic _."_

A high pitched shriek of terror escapes the brunet's mouth as he whips his head around, searching for the person who just spoke to him.

" _Hm… you can look all you want, Kid, but you ain't gonna find me, just saying."_

"W-W-Who _are_ you?! Wh- _Where_ are you?!" Tsuna's continue to dart around his bedroom in a panic.

" _First of all, Kid,_ calm down _. Geez, I've been watching you these past few months and you freak out over the littlest of things… Secondly, stop trying to find me. It's not gonna happen considering I'm in your head. Thirdly, you_ might _wanna stay quiet and quit screaming your head off, lest your mother comes in or you annoy the neighbors again. Lastly, you can call me Zero."_

"Y-You're in my head?! A-Am I g-going c-crazy?!"

" _Beats me. You could be, I mean, I could just be a figment of your imagination or I could be caused by all the stress you're going through. I could be a ghost possessing your body or your 'Guardian Angel' sent to watch over you, who knows."_

"… A-Are you a g-good person?"

" _Depends on what your definition of 'good' is. Am I the type of person to feed stray kittens and puppies on the side of the road? Possibly. Am I the type of person to help little old ladies cross the street? Maybe. Am I the type of person who would swoop in the save someone from getting mugged? Perhaps. You'll never know, and I don't feel like telling you, Kid. Besides, what's 'good' and 'bad' is just a matter of perspective, after all."_

"W-Will you h-hurt me?"

" _Hmm… if I'm being completely honest, Kid. I don't know. I don't know why or_ how _I'm in your head right now and I don't know what kind of effect me hanging out in your head will do, but, I'll try my best not to hurt you. After all, we're kinda stuck together, you know? Anything bad that happens to you will_ probably _affect me too and I know I don't want to get hurt, or worse."_

"O-Oh… o-okay… y-you said your name was 'Z-Zero'?"

" _Yep. You don't gotta introduce yourself, Kid. I already know all about you."_

"Y-You do?"

" _Well, yeah, I've been hanging out in your head for the past… two? Three months? Anyway, I've been watching the world through your eyes and I already know who you are, Tsunayoshi Sawada. Age six. Only son to Nana Sawada. You're in the first grade and go to school at Namimori Elementary school. You completely_ suck _at anything academic and physical and get the worse grades in the entire school. You are constantly bullied everyday and can't walk more than two feet without tripping over_ something _. You are scared by practically anything that moves and are one of the laziest kids I have ever seen. All in all, you really are Dame-Tsuna."_

The brunet let out a whimper at the harsh words the… person? Voice? spoke.

"I-I'm not _that_ bad…," Tsuna sniffed, hugging his knees in shames and embarrassment.

" _Uh, yeah you are, Kid; which brings me back to why I previously began 'speaking' to you. Again, I don't really know_ why _I'm stuck in your head but, like I said before, you suck at everything and anything you do and it's kinda pissing me off how useless you actually are. So! I've decided to break my silence and help you out cause if I'm gonna be stuck with you forever; I want to be in a competent person at least. So! First things first, clothes off and get your ass in the shower!"_

"Wh-What? W-Why?"

" _Why? Because you're covered in dirt and sweat and grim and who knows what else!_ And _it's because I know you have some cuts and scrapes on your knees and elbows, and if you don't clean then properly you could get an infection and die. Which wouldn't be beneficial for either of us, yeah?"_

"I-I guess…"

" _Good, make sure you wash behind your ears, okay? Trust me; I'll know if you miss that spot!"_

 **III.**

After Tsuna has properly washed and cleaned himself, he spends the rest of the night talking with Zero and doing his homework with the… person? Voice?

It turns out that Zero is _scarily_ knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects and answered most of Tsuna's questions with ease.

"E-Emperor K-Komei ruled during w-which era?"

" _During the Edo period from 1846 to 1867. He was a stiff bastard, you know? Always by-the-book and didn't like to have any fun. Refused to try French macaroons because they were too 'foreign' for his tastes… a real stick-in-the-mud if you ask me."_

"Wh-What's 130 times 11 d-divided by 5?"

" _286."_

"Wh-Where was the A-Anglo-Japanese A-Alliance signed a-at?"

" _London. Amazing place, London. Full of rich culture and buildings and… well British people can't cook very well – their food's a bit too bland for my tastes – but they do know how to brew a mean cup of tea!"_

"H-How are you s-so sm-smart, Z-Zero?"

" _I drink the blood and tears of my enemies."_

"WH-WHAT?!"

" _Ha! Got ya! That was just a joke, Kid. Relax."_

"T-That wasn't f-funny!"

" _Meh. It was funny to me… to answer your question: I just_ know _these things. Kinda like you know when you're hungry or sleepy, yeah?"_

"O-Oh…"

" _Now then, since you're done with your homework it looks like you have enough time to eat dinner before going to bed."_

"B-But it's only e-eight!"

" _Eating dinner with your mother will take an hour, at the most. Then you have to get ready for bed and then you'll probably spend another half-hour trying to fall asleep and by then it'll be ten; and you and I_ both _know how difficult it is for you to wake up in the morning."_

"Th-That's…"

" _Now, hurry up. Put your things away so you have enough time to eat."_

 **IV.**

The next morning – with a _great_ deal of yelling and effort on Zero's part – Tsuna actually manages to get to school _before_ the bell rings, startling both himself and the rest of his class with his early arrival.

"I-It's weird b-being so e-early for once…," Tsuna murmurs to himself, as he takes his seat.

" _Some people like arriving exactly on time. Other's will always be late, but, in my opinion, arriving early is always the best thing to do. It allows you some time to relax and you also have some time to prepare yourself, whether it's going to the bathroom one last time or reading over a presentation you might be giving."_

"Th-That makes s-sense…"

" _Oh, and one more thing; try not to respond to me by speaking. You already have a bad enough reputation; you don't need everyone else to think you're crazy as well."_

"T-Then h-how will I t-talk to y-you?!"

" _Shh! Remember what I_ just _said? Anyway I can hear your thoughts as well as your voice so all you have to do is think what you want to say to me and then I'll hear it."_

' _L-Like t-this…?'_

" _Perfect! This way I can still help you without making people think you're even weirder than before!"_

"Settle down class," the teacher says as he walks into the room, "we'll begin with roll call before I collect your homework from last night…" The teacher glances at the students before doing a double-take at the sight of the brunet. "T-Tsunayoshi-kun? Y-You're on t-time for once?"

Tsuna flushs slightly as he classmates began to laugh. "Y-Yes…," he says meekly.

"Well… g-good to h-have you here with us…" The teacher clears his throat awkwardly and begins the lesson.

" _Bet he was all ready to mock and yell at you today, Kid. Aren't you glad we took that opportunity away from the bastard?"_

' _I… I guess…? Did… W-Was Takeda-sensei really l-looking f-forward to m-me being la-late?'_

" _Most likely. You couldn't tell because you're too young to know what it looks like, but, he took_ a lot _of joy in ridiculing and putting you down, Kid. It's disgusting, to be honest."_

' _I… I didn't k-know that…'_

" _You'll find that the world is a bitter and cruel place, Kid. People like that 'teacher' of yours will be commonplace in the 'real' world."_

"Tsunayoshi-kun!" The teacher's harsh reprimand interrupts the silent conversation Tsuna was having with Zero. "Stop daydreaming and answer the question!"

Panic begins to rise within the brunet as he nervously looks around the classroom. _'I-I don't know what T-Takeda-sensei a-asked me!'_

" _Say, 'Date Masamune."_

"T-The answer is D-Date Ma-Masamune!"

The teacher scowls for a split-second before turning back to the face the blackboard. "A lucky guess, I suppose…," he mutters.

Tsuna lets out a sigh of relief as he slides down his seat. _'Th… That was close!'_

" _Hmph. You're 'teacher' was trying to catch you off guard, Kid. Learning about famous samurai isn't supposed to happen until the fifth or sixth year."_

' _R-Really?!'_

" _Yeah… but don't worry, as long as I'm with you, I won't let these bastards try and pull a fast one on you!"_

' _Th-Thank you, Zero!'_


	2. Chapter 2

**I.**

With the help of Zero, Tsuna manages to answer all of the questions directed at him over the course of the school day.

"Tsunayoshi-kun! What is 52 divided by 8 plus 13 minus 90?!"

" _Negative 70 and a half."_

"N-Negative 70 a-and a h-half!"

"Takayama is an old Japanese town renowned for what occupation, Tsunayoshi-kun?!"

" _Carpenters. In fact, they were the ones to build the Imperial Palace in Kyoto."_

"C-Carpenters!"

"Tsunayoshi-kun! World famous English playwright, William Shakespeare, invented what word?!"

" _What the fuck?! How the_ fuck _is a six year-old child supposed to know the fucking answer to that question?! Okay, this teacher is now on my blacklist. He's fucking going_ down _."_

' _Wh-What's the answer, Z-Zero?!'_

" _It's a trick question, Kid. There are many debates about whether or not Shakespeare was the first person to invent a word or if he was the first person to have recorded a word, as most words can be traced back to: Ancient Roman, Greek, Chinese or Arabic words."_

"H-He m-might not have c-created a-any word b-because all words c-can be t-traced back to ol-older wo-words…"

The teacher narrows his eyes at the brunet before turning back to face the board.

" _Fucking bastard,"_ Zero seethes in Tsuna's head, _"If I had my own body, I'd punch him in the ass before kicking him in the face!"_

' _Y-You s-swear a lot, Zero…'_

" _Hm? I do? Never really noticed. And not gonna stop cursing like a sailor, Kid. One thing you should definitely try and remember: Never try and change someone,_ especially _if they don't want to change. It's best to accept people as they are, you know?"_

' _O-Okay.'_

" _Good, now get out your food – it's lunch time!"_ Tsuna stands, grabs his schoolbag, and begins to head for the classroom door when Zero barks at him, _"What are you doing?! You aren't leaving this classroom!"_

' _W-Why? I a-always eat o-outside…'_

" _Uh,_ because _your food's gonna get taken from you! Haven't you noticed that whenever you eat outside, those older morons always take your lunch?"_

' _O-Oh…'_

" _Gods… 'O-Oh' he says… from now on, Kid, you'll be eating lunch_ inside _the classroom!"_

' _B-But it's a n-nice day ou-outside…'_

" _It's also a nice day to not eat anything at all!"_ Zero is silent for a moment before continuing, _"Look, Kid, if you don't get your three meals a day, you aren't gonna grow up healthy, okay? By not eating outside, you're saving your food for_ you _and are providing important nutrients and stuff for your body to grow up big and strong. Think of it this way, Kid, your body is like a battery and the food you eat is the power inside the battery; without enough power, the battery cannot work, yeah?"_

' _Th-That makes sense…'_

" _It does, right? So sit back down and eat your food before lunch is over!"_

 **II.**

Once lunch is over, the rest of the school day goes by smoothly.

The teacher has apparently had enough of Tsuna answering questions correctly and goes on to question other students in the class.

" _Again, your teacher is a fucking bastard, Kid… If I wasn't here you'd have definitely gotten all those questions wrong!"_

' _I-I know… thank you, Zero…!'_

" _Hmph…! Don't thank me yet, Kid, I'll make you smart enough so that way_ you'll _be able to answer hard questions without my help! That way I can just sit back and relax and have you do all the work!"_

Tsuna lets out a muffled giggle at Zero's words. _'Thank you, again, Zero.'_

"… _It's no trouble, Kid."_

 **Just a question for my readers: Should I keep italicizing Zero's words? Is it easy or hard for you guys to read it? Can you differentiate whose talking or thinking when?**

 **Things will pick up in the next chapter, I'm planning on possibly doing each chapter as a school year in order to get to the start of KHR as soon as possible.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I.**

Over the remaining course of Tsuna's first year in elementary school, his grades drastically improve much to the amazement and delight of his mother and to the 'satisfaction' of his teachers and peers.

" _Bunch of hypocrite, the lot of them… Only treating you nicely now that you're on the same 'level' as everyone else… Disgusting…"_

As the brunet's grades improve, so does his social standing amongst his fellow classmates. Whereas he used to be ostracized and bullied daily, now people go to him for help with math, history, and other difficult subjects.

" _You should mock and ridicule_ them _for not knowing the answers, Kid. Give them a taste of their own medicine… or better yet, give them all the wrong answers and watch them suffer and complain!"_

' _I w-won't do something l-like that, Zero! I-It's not nice!'_

"They _didn't care whether or not they were being 'nice' to you, you know… Don't you want to get even a little bit of revenge on them?"_

' _No, I don't.'_

"… _Bah! You're no fun, Kid… Of all the people I'd get stuck in, it had to be the most forgiving and kind person of all… Will you at least talk trash about them with me then?!_ You _might be able to forgive them so easily but I can't!"_

'… _Maybe…'_

" _I'll take it!"_

 **II.**

At Zero's urging – and whining – Tsuna decides to join a club – a sport to be more specific, in his second year in elementary school.

" _Academics and grades can be easily improved, Kid. Hell, you don't even need to study anything as long as I'm in your head! However, physical strength, flexibility, and simple coordination cannot be obtained so easily. While your grades might have improved over the past year, you_ still _suck at sports and are one of the most – if not the most – clumsiest person I have ever met."_

' _I k-know… what c-club should I j-join then?'_

" _Hmm… you aren't the physically aggressive type – and you are_ way _too small and feminine to join any contact sport - which basically rules out almost everything… and I know you won't like getting hit or injured by anything so… how about dance?"_

' _B-But isn't d-dancing fo-for girl?'_

" _Pah! Don' let gender stereotypes limit your way of thinking, Kid! A lot of guys dance too, you know. Beside it's really the only activity you'll probably like since you won't get hit by a ball or a bat or tackled to the ground like in other sports… plus you get to dance with girls and you'll learn how to be graceful and strong at the same time!"_

' _I… I don't know…'_

" _Well, at least think about it okay? It doesn't have to be dance but something like it would suit you the best compared to other sports."_

' _Okay.'_

" _Perhaps you could learn how to ice skate? It's like dancing but you can do it on your own and it would help increase your balance."_

 **III.**

"Zero, I w-want to l-learn b-ballet!" Tsuna announces one day, after school.

" _Muh… huh? Wassit? … S-Sorry, Kid, I was sleeping."_

"… I didn't know you could s-sleep, Zero…"

" _Me neither… Anyways, what were you saying?"_

"I w-want to l-learn b-ballet!"

" _Ballet, huh? Any particular reason?"_

"W-Well…," Tsuna trails off and fidgets nervously, "I h-heard that K-Kyoko-chan w-wants to be a b-ballerina when she g-grows up a-and i-if I l-learn ballet then I-I'll be able to da-dance with h-her o-one day!"

" _Ah, young love… Well, if you wanna learn ballet, who am I to stop you, Kid? But, is there even a ballet studio or someone who teaches ballet in Namimori?"_

"I-I don't know… b-but I can f-find out!"

 **IV.**

Tsuna learns that there _is_ no ballet studio or teacher in Namimori. In fact, the closest ballet studio is in the next two towns over and without a car, it'd be impossible for Tsuna to take lessons there.

"I… I _really_ w-wanted t-to l-learn too…," the brunet sniffs from under a pile of blankets in his bedroom.

"… _I can teach you."_

"R-Really?!" Tsuna sits up in excitement at Zero's nonchalant comment.

" _Sure, I already know a lot of stuff – ballet and other dances included – so I can tell you what to do."_

"O-Okay! Wh-What do I have t-to do f-first?!"

" _Well… it'd be best to begin building up your stamina and flexibility, first. Going running everyday and doing light yoga and stretching would be a good way to start."_

"Okay! I-I'm going to start r-running right now," Tsuna exclaims before rushing downstairs and out the front door.

" _H-Hold on a minute, Kid! You can't go running_ now _! You don't have the right shoes or clothes on to run! Plus it's like seven at night! You still have to finish up your homework and eat dinner and get ready for bed! Kid?! KID!"_

 **VI.**

Tsuna regrets going running the next day when at school.

' _Ughhh… my legs hurt…'_

" _Yeah well, that's what you get for_ not _listening to me and for not stopping when I told you to! Don't you know that you can't just start running or doing anything strenuous without getting ready first?! … Well, I guess you_ can _but your muscles will be sore afterwards. But the next time you decide to go running so suddenly, at least take a few minutes to stretch and get your body ready, okay?!"_

' _O-Okay.'_

" _Hmph, good… you know, Kid, you're actually kinda reckless and stubborn sometimes, you know? While holding your ground and sticking to your guns can be a good thing, you also need to learn to listen to what other people tell you… but! That doesn't mean to just blindly follow whatever it is someone says, okay? You end up doing that and we'll both end up in a bad situation, yeah?"_

'… _Wh-What about y-you?'_

" _Huh? What about me?"_

' _D-Does that m-mean I should o-only listen to y-you, Zero?'_

"… _If I were someone else,_ anyone _else, I'd tell you to_ only _listen to me. But! Since I'm me, I say… fuck no! While I won't do or tell you to do anything that would end up putting the both of us in danger, you still can disagree or tell me that you don't want to do something. I mean, I'm just a passenger in_ your _body, Kid. In the end, this body and mind is all yours, meaning you actually don't have to listen to a damn thing I'm saying. What can I do if you don't listen to me? Yell at you mentally all day long? … Well, I guess I could do that but I'd get tired of being ignored and then I'd probably not say anything after that in retaliation until you_ really _needed my help but… by then would I still be around in your head? … Actually, I don't even know how long I'll be here. You could wake up tomorrow and I'd be gone, you know."_

"WH-WHAT?!" Tsuna's eyes grow wide as he stands suddenly, sending his chair clattering to the ground and drawing the attention of his classmates.

" _Mental voice, Kid! Use your mental voice!"_

"S-Sorry…" the brunet quickly murmurs to his classmates and to Zero before righting his chair and sitting back down.

' _Wh-What do you mean that you w-won't be h-here anymore?!'_

" _I meant what I said, Kid. Since I don't know_ what _caused me to be in your head, I can't say for certain how long I'll be hanging around here. We could be stuck together for the next five minutes or the next fifteen years."_

' _I-I don't w-want you t-t-to leave!'_

"… _Sometimes life makes decisions for you that you don't like, but that you'll have to accept, Kid… Though if we're being completely honest with one another… I wouldn't want to leave you either…"_

' _Z-Zero…!'_

" _Now, enough of this emotional stuff – we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but for now, I'll make sure to part every piece of important – and fuck ton of unimportant – information I have on you! Are you ready?!"_

' _Y-Yes!'_

" _Great! First things first, we get your name to the top of the academic charts and make your body into something that everyone will want! Then we'll get revenge on all of the people that bullied you!"_

' _Ye-! … W-What? N-No!'_

" _Tch… thought I could get you to agree to that last one…"_

' _Zero!'_

" _Aw… c'mon, Kid! Just a_ little _bit of revenge then? How about spiking their drinks and getting them drunk?!"_

' _N-No!'_

" _Gluing their books to their desks?!"_

' _No!'_

" _Writing and sending them fake love letters and then laughing at them when no one shows up?!"_

' _NO!'_

"… _Fine then! I_ guess _we'll just stick to the plan of making you the best person in the whole goddamn world then… no fun at all, really…"_


	4. Chapter 4

**I.**

" _Cou-de-pied, sur le… I said, cou-de-pied, sur le!"_

"I-I don't know what th-that means!" Tsuna was currently in the – relatively – safety of his bedroom practicing ballet with his Coach, Zero.

" _Oh right… my bad, Kid. I keep on forgetting that you can't read minds like I can. A cou-de-pied, sur le is a ballet pose in which your right foot is placed against your left leg right above your ankle and below your calf."_

"L-Like this…?" Tsuna placed a hand against his bedroom wall and lifted his right foot to his left leg – his body wobbling a bit as he did so.

" _Hmm… Hmmm… Hmmmmmm… you know what? This is a fucking inefficient way for me to teach you. I mean, I can only see what you see and if we continue like this you're bound to fall down or trip over something just to let me see what you're doing."_

"Th-Then what should w-we do?"

" _Hold on, lemme think for a moment… oh, and you can put your foot down now, Kid, I couldn't see everything, but I'm pretty sure you held the cou-de-pied, sur le correctly."_

Tsuna did as he was told before wandering towards his bed and taking a seat on it.

"… S-So… can you only s-see what I-I see, Zero…" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

" _Hm? Yeah, apparently so. I mean, if you were to look straight ahead, I'd only be able to see what you're able to see. So I have like, a 180 degree field of vision I'd guess and while I can't 'see' what's behind you, for example, I can still hear everything going on."_

"S-So that's h-how you were able t-to an-answer all of the t-teacher's questions th-that one time!"

" _Yep. It seems like even when you're not paying attention, I can still listen and see everything that's happening to you. Which is pretty fucking cool, if you ask me! I mean, you could fucking daydream all you want in class and you'd still be able to correctly answer any question that fuck-head asks you!"_

"Wh-What happens when I'm sl-sleeping then?"

" _Huh? What do you mean, Kid?"_

"I-I mean… how a-are you a-able to 'see' and 'h-hear' things if I-I'm a-asleep?"

"… _That's a good question, Kid, and to be honest, I don't really have an answer for that…"_ Zero falls silent for a moment before continuing, " _I think that when you fall asleep or something like that, that I just… exist. I'm just_ there _in your head, you know? I know I can still 'hear' things when you're asleep – like that one time the neighbor's dog would_ not _fucking stop barking a few weeks ago!"_

"Th-That happened?"

" _Yeah, you were dead to the world, Kid, so I'm not surprised that you didn't wake up from all the yapping and howling that fucking beast was doing. But, anyway, I know for a fact that I can still 'hear' things like that… Which brings up the question: Am I using your body even when you're not using it? … Wow… that sounded really dirty."_

"What?"

" _Never mind, Kid, I'll tell you when you get older."_ Tsuna got the impression that had Zero had an actual body, he'd have waved a dismissive hand. _"… Agh! This is so fucking stupid and confusing and lame! Maybe I'm_ not _using your eyes and ears to 'hear' and 'see' after all, but, if that's the case, than how am I able to do so in the first place?! In order for me to be able to 'see' and 'hear', I'd have to have my own set of eyes and ears – which I know I fucking_ don't _cause I'm just an incorporeal voice in the back of your head, Kid – and I kinda, maybe, know that I don't have to use yours twenty-four hours a day because I can still 'hear' things even when you're not awake, but it's not like I have control over your body in the first place so how the fucking hell am I able to 'see' and 'hear' all these things then?! Is your body in a state of constant awareness?! Or does your body never truly 'rest'?! If that's the case then aren't I fucking toxic for you?! 'Cause a child's body needs a shit ton of rest and relaxation to properly grow and if you aren't getting enough rest then you won't grow up to be strong and healthy! Which would be fucking bad for us both! Or perhaps this is all some kind of trippy hallucination that's fucking with your brain or something?! … Do I even_ exist _, in that case?! And for that matter am I-… Oh my fucking god… I'm having an existential crisis..."_

"A-A what?"

"… _It's when you begin to question whether or not anything is real or whether or not anything matters."_

"… You are real, Zero."

"… _Thanks for saying that, Kid, but really there's no proof that I do or do not 'exist'. Remember what I told you? The very first time I 'spoke' to you?"_

"Y-You said that y-you could be a fig-figment of my i-imagination or s-some kind or gh-ghost or s-something…"

" _Yeah… perhaps you really_ did _crack from all the bullying and belittlement you've endured and made me as some kind of coping mechanism."_

"I… I don't th-think so…," Tsuna began in a thoughtful tone, "I m-mean, h-how would my g-grades ha-have gotten be-better i-if you weren't r-real…? I kn-know I don't know a-all the an-answers on my school and homework l-like you do, Zero."

" _Hm… that's a valid point…"_

"B-Besides… w-weren't you the one who t-told me, 'we'll cross that bridge when we get to it'? W-We both don't know if y-you're real or n-not and th-there could be a chance th-that I really _am_ going c-crazy… but, f-for now… we're both here and that's all that should matter… right?"

"… _Tsuna… when the_ fuck _did you get all smart and philosophical, huh?"_

Tsuna let out a soft laugh and scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I g-guess all of our s-studying and t-training is w-working, h-huh?"

"… _You're damned right it is! Was there really any doubt that I wouldn't be able to make you smarter? Really, you ought to be used to my amazing wealth of knowledge and skills by now, Kid!"_ Tsuna let out another laugh in response. _"… But… thanks, Kid. Looks like I'm not the only one who needs some reassurance every now and then, right?"_

"Y-You're my friend, Zero and friends always help each other out!"

" _Heh… making friends with a voice inside your head, Kid? Not exactly the smartest thing to do, you know."_

"Th-Then it's a good thing y-you're here to make me smarter…!"

" _Ha! I really_ am _rubbing off you, Kid! Your first snarky comeback… I'm so proud! But, you're right. Right now it doesn't fucking matter how I 'see' or 'hear', just that I'm here to turn you into a fucking BAMF! Now… enough small talk, let's get back to learning some kickass ballet!"_

"R-Right!"

 **II.**

After a few more months of Super-Secret-Hidden-Private-Gonna-Turn-You-Into-A-BAMF-Ballet-Training – as Zero aptly named it – Tsuna is convinced to perform at his school's talent show near the end of his second year of elementary school.

The brunet – much to everyone's surprise, including himself – comes in third-place and wins a medal and gift card to a local restaurant.

His mother is shocked, but delighted at her son's – first – major accomplishment. Tsuna, himself, is surprised, but pleased that all his hard work has paid off – plus, Kyoko even spoke to him afterwards and even congratulated him! Zero… is fucking Zero about it all.

" _What the ever flying fuck?! Those judges are rigged I tell ya! Rigged! Biased! Corrupted! I demand a recount! That piece I taught you was worth_ at least _the gold! Platinum if they had it!"_

' _I-It's o-okay, Zero! I'm happy with third pl-place.'_

"… _Third place is just second loser, Kid! You should have – at least – gotten second! How the fuck did you lose to a kid who cut up a fucking turnip?!"_

' _W-Well… he did c-carve a pretty fl-flower out of it…'_

"… _Well,_ yeah _, but still! … Alright, then, next year we'll fucking drench you in flowers and other floral shit that way you can take home the gold!_ That'll _show those judges! And that kid!"_

' _Zero… are you jealous?'_

" _WH-WHAT?! No! I-I'm not fucking 'jealous'! I'm just a sore fucking loser, okay?!"_

' _W-Well… at least y-you aren't afraid t-to admit it…'_

" _Next year you'll perform the Waltz of Flowers from the Nutcracker! If it's flowers they want then it's flowers they'll fucking get!"_

 **III.**

The good thing about Tsuna placing third at the Namimori Elementary School's Annual Talent Show, was that he got a large boost to his self-confidence.

The bad thing was that it had reintroduced the brunet to the world of bullying.

"Hey, we saw you dance at the talent show, Girly-Tsuna!"

"Yeah! What's up with you? Don't you know only _girls_ dance?!"

"You were so _lame_!"

The good thing about learning ballet was that Tsuna was now a _lot_ faster and nimble than he was before, which allowed him to easily out-run his would-be attackers.

The bad thing about learning ballet was that it was a dance – which was not an ideal form of self-defense.

" _All-fucking-right, Kid! Along with ballet, I'm going to teach you fucking martial arts too! That way you can punch those fucking bastards in their fucking faces instead of running away!"_


	5. Chapter 5

**I.**

" _There are two important things to remember when doing martial arts: breathing and foundation or your stance."_

"Okay."

" _First we'll focus on your breathing. The best way to breathe is to inhale with your mouth, making sure that you expand your stomach and diaphragm with every breath, hold it for a few seconds then exhaling through your nose. With every inhale and exhale, your body should remain loose and relaxed, understand?"_

"Yes."

" _Good. Now onto the different types of foundations or stances that martial arts uses. Your traditional Japanese martial arts – and some western ones – will typically use a wider stance for more stability and balance. However, there are certain martial arts that utilize a smaller stance for better speed and mobility – taekwondo and other Korean martial arts are a good example of this. For you, Kid, I'd recommend that we go with the latter stance since I highly doubt you're gonna grow up to be a big, buff guy or the like – which means we should focus on your speed, agility, and dexterity… you can't hit what you can't catch, after all!"_

"O-Okay… how will we do that?"

" _Well, first of all, you're gonna continuing with your running – what better way to get faster at moving than to actually fucking run? We're also gonna continue with the Super-Secret-Though-I-Guess-Not-Really ballet practice, you know, to further strengthen your legs and shit. Then I'm gonna start teaching you some stuff to increase your flexibility and footwork… I'm thinking yoga and some break-dancing, but I haven't really decided yet… Then we'll move into the actual martial arts training… I'm leaning towards teaching you aikido or the like since that type of martial arts focuses mainly on using your opponent's force and momentum against them and, like I said earlier, I'm pretty fucking positive that you aren't gonna grow up to be like a pro-wrestler or something, you know?"_

"You don't know that for sure, Zero… I could become the biggest kid in school when I hit puberty!"

" _Yeah,_ sure _, and I'm gonna turn into a super hot teen idol tomorrow morning…"_

"Y-You never know!"

" _Whatever you say, Kid… just to let you know, though, I'm not holding my fucking breath over that ever happening."_

 **II.**

Tsuna's third year of elementary school passes in the blink of an eye and without any major incidents occurring, much to the delight of one brunet and much to the chagrin of the brunet's mental passenger.

" _Tch… I guess your bullies have finally grown a fucking brain cell or two and realized that you aren't easy prey to pick on anymore… Goddamnit! I wanted you to show off all the cool martial arts shit that I taught you!"_

"Zero… stop throwing a tantrum, please. Whining and complaining about things doesn't suit you."

" _Aw, stuff it, Kid! Haven't you realized by now that 'whining' and 'complaining' is my thing?! Without it… who would I be?! I'll tell you who'd I'd be… I'd be just another boring voice in your head telling you what to do and how to do it! I'd practically be your fucking conscience!"_

"Which you already do and kinda are anyway…"

" _Yeah, but, aren't I a_ shit-ton _cooler the way I am now?"_

"Hahaha…! That you are, Zero."

 **III.**

At the beginning of Tsuna's fourth year at Namimori Elementary School, he runs into Kyoko's infamous older brother.

Or rather, the infamous brother runs into him.

"EXTREME! You dodged my top-speed very EXTREMELY! Join my boxing club to the EXTREME!"

" _My fucking god… I swear if this kid fucking screams at us, 'EXTREME!' one more time…"_

"Sure, Sasagawa-sempai… I'll join your club!"

"Y-You will?! E-EXTREME!"

"… _Okay… you just did that to fucking spite me, Kid… Not cool… Not cool at all…"_

' _I may have agreed just to get him to yell one more time… but, it's also because shouldn't I also be learning about other ways to defend myself? And, no offense to you, Zero, but having two… 'mentors' is better than one, right?'_

"… _I have taught you well, Young Grasshopper. Of course, it's to be expected what with me being awesomely amazing and incredibly skilled and knowledgeable to boot!"_

 **IV.**

And so, Tsuna officially joins Sasagawa Ryohei's Boxing Club – though, could it really be called a 'club' when there were only two members in it?

" _Hey, Kid! Don't go forgetting about me, yeah?! This Club's got_ three _people in it! Well… two kids and the amazing me – who doesn't have a physical body so I guess there are only two-and-a-half members? Can I be considered a 'person' if I don't have my own body? Or would it be better to just label me as a ghost or something? Or should I-"_

"Zero, you're having another existential crisis…"

"… _Two-and-a-fucking-half club members it is!"_

* * *

 **I'm not really happy with how this chapter turned out, but that's what my brain spat out. Tsuna's will grow up to be a lot more snarky and sarcastic that in cannon – how could he not when he has a passenger like Zero in his head? – which is why there's such a big difference in how Tsuna talks in Parts I and II.**

 **If you have any questions or comments please let me know!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I.**

Ryohei, as it turned out, was actually a pretty decent instructor and coach when it came to teaching others about the sport of boxing.

" _It's fucking weird to see the Loud Kid get all fucking serious and smart all of a sudden…"_

' _Isn't that what you do all the time, Zero? Become all smart and serious too?'_

" _Yeah, but in my case it's fucking awesome and shit… but in the Loud Kid's case, it's just plain freaky like… like, I'm getting the feeling that he's trying way too fucking hard to act all stern and shit in order to not scare us away or something and if I'm being honest, it's really starting to fucking irritate the crap out of me."_

' _What should I do, then?'_

" _Hmm… I got it! You should punch him upside the head and tell him to stop acting like a fucking weirdo and to just be himself and all that good, philosophical shit."_

 **II.**

Tsuna did just that – albeit in a much more… eloquent manner than what Zero suggested.

It turned out that one Sasagawa Ryohei didn't have any friends aside from his younger sister and that he had indeed been trying to act like someone he wasn't in order not to frighten away Tsuna.

" _Hah! I fucking called it!"_

"A good friend once told me, that it wasn't nice to try and change someone if they don't want to be changed, Sasagawa-sempai. So don't try and hide who you are around me, I won't get angry or scared or try to run way like the others. It's okay to just be yourself!"

"S-Sawada… th-that was EXTREMELY deep! I want to do an EXTREME run around Namimori because of your words!"

"… That sounds like fun, Sasagawa-sempai, mind if I join you?"

"S-Sure!"

 **III.**

Tsuna's fourth year of attending Namimori Elementary School passes by in the blink-of-an-eye and soon, the brunet is entering his fifth year of school.

" _Another school year, another chance to show everyone how fucking awesome and kick-ass you became! First, we'll nab the title of the smartest student in your year and then world domination! Mwahahaha!"_

"How about we just make it through this year first, Zero? I still have the rest the of my life to figure out what I want to do and besides, I don't think putting 'world domination' as one of my future dream jobs will be accepted by the faculty and teachers."

" _You shouldn't give a fuck what those moronic idiots think, Kid. The only thing limiting you and your potential is the belief that you won't be able to do it and that you'll fail… well, that and the law of fucking physics I guess. Damn gravity sometimes…"_

"You do know that gravity is the only thing that's keeping everything from just floating off into space, right? Without it, we'd all die a painful death."

" _Still… gravity fucking_ sucks _sometimes… I want to be able to fucking fly whenever the fuck I want! … Or I should say: you should be able to fly and float and do whatever the fuck you want without having to worry about gravity and falling!"_

"You never know, maybe one day I'll be able to do something like that."

" _The day you learn how to fly without wings is the day I'll finally admit that I'm not fucking amazingly awesome and wonderful – which is to say, that'll never fucking happen."_

"You never know, Zero. You never know."

 **IV.**

" _Hey, Kid… who's that dark, brooding emo-looking kid over there?"_

Tsuna turns in his assigned seat and peers out the classroom window. _'Him? That's Hibari Kyoya…'_

"… _He looks strong don'cha think?"_

' _I guess he does… he kinda has the same aura about him as Sasagawa-sempai, meaning that he seems like someone that trains a lot.'_

"… _You should fight him."_

' _Yeah, you're right I- … Excuse me?'_

" _Fight him."_

' _Uh, no? I'm not going to 'fight' Hibari Kyoya.'_

" _Fight. Him."_

' _Why do you want me to fight him anyway? It's not like I can just waltz on up to him and demand a fight or something!'_

" _Of course you fucking can, just do that… without the asking part!"_

' _No. I'm not just going to blindly attack someone like that.'_

" _Then attack him from the front! That way it's not considered a 'blind attack'!"_

' _No.'_

" _Aw… c'mon, Kid! You should totally fight him! I bet you'd win!"_

' _No.'_

" _Fight him!"_

' _For the last time, Zero,_ no _!'_

"… _Pah!... Fine then! Just sit here and listen to this boring-ass teacher drone on and fucking on about the isosceles triangle then! See if I care!"_

'… _You just want an excuse to leave the classroom, don't you?'_

" _Well, can ya blame me?! I taught you all this crap a full year ago! You already know all this shit – and more!"_

' _It's always good to take a refresher course now and again, you know?'_

" _With me hanging out in your head, Kid, you never need to take a 'refresher course' ever again."_

' _I guess that's true…'_

" _Well, now that you've realized the error of your ways… I can only think of one thing that can make it up to me!"_

' _I'm still not fighting Hibari Kyoya, Zero.'_

"… _Break my heart some more, why don'cha?! GO ON AND BREAK MY HEART SOME MORE!"_

Tsuna rolled his eyes and sighed mentally. _'If it makes you feel any better, Zero, I promise that I'll fight him one day… just not today or anytime in the near future.'_

"… _Fine… I_ guess _that's fine… but, I'll fucking hold you to that promise, Kid! Don't think I'll forget! I have a memory like a fucking elephant, you know! I never forget anything!"_


	7. Chapter 7

**I.**

Sawada Iemitsu stared down at the slumbering form of his son, a pensive expression marring the blonds' features.

"Is…" Iemitsu's voice trailed off as he snapped his mouth shut with an audible _clink_! After a moment he continued in a whisper, "Is this really the right thing to do, Ninth?"

Timoteo, the Ninth Boss of the Vongola Family, gave one solemn nod. "It is, Iemitsu, deep down, you know that this is the best course of action for us to take."

Iemitsu hunched forward, angling his body as if to shield his young son from the dangers of the world. "But… _sealing_ Flames – especially Sky's is… I… this is… there are rumors and stories about the life-long damage it can do to a person's mind and… this is my _son_ , Timoteo."

"I understand your concern, Iemitsu, but, your son's Flames are far too strong for him to handle at his age and you know far better than anyone else how dangerous a young, powerful, and untrained Sky can be… they can – and will – often cause irrevocable damage, damage that far exceeds the dangers of Sealing."

A stuttering inhale.

"I-"

Timoteo placed a gentle hand on the blonds' shoulder. "This is for the best, Iemitsu. By sealing young Tsunayoshi's Flames, we can – hopefully – prevent something like _that_ from happening again."

"I…" Iemitsu closed his eyes and bowed his head. "…They're not… _She's_ still not any better… eight goddamn years later and everyone's still as broken and fractured as _that_ day… and… and it's all my fault…"

"You couldn't have known that your Flames would – could – do something like that, Iemitsu," the Vongola Ninth said softly, gently. "Even though Dying Will Flames have been around for centuries, we are still no closer to understanding it than when it first came into existence."

"This… there's no another option is there…?"

"It's either leave Tsunayoshi's Flames as is and have him destroy the lives of the people around him… or seal his Flames and save his life."

Another stuttering breath.

"… Then… _Save_ my son, Timoteo."

Iemitsu's eyes remained closed, so he never saw the gleeful expression on his Boss' and most trusted confidants' face.

"It would be an honor, Iemitsu."

 **II.**

'… _ro? … Ze…. –u ther… ? …-ey, Zero, are you there?!'_

" _G-Guh?! Huh?! Th-The answer is fifty-two! George Washington did in fact cut down the cherry tree! Carrots can turn your skin orange!"_

Sawada Tsunayoshi covered his mouth in an attempt to stifle the laughter bubbling out of him. _'S-Sorry, Zero…! Did I wake you?'_

" _Th-The awesomeness that is I d-does not need the so-called 'sleep' that your physical body requires!"_

' _Of course,'_ Tsuna acquiesced in his mind, _'the reason why the amazing you did not immediately respond to me for the past ten minutes is obviously because you were not sleeping.'_

" _I-I was fucking lost in thought or some shit like that, alright?!"_

' _Of course you were… did you have a good dream at least?'_ When Zero did not respond right away, Tsuna tilted his head in confusion and worry. _'… Zero? Is everything okay?'_

"… _I'm not sure, Kid…"_ The seriousness of Zero's voice had Tsuna's brows shooting up in alarm. _"I don't remember what I was dreaming about, but, I think I just forgot something incredibly vital to how I came to be in your head…"_

Both the brunet and his mental occupant fell silent for a few minutes at Zero's admission.

'… _But, I thought you just said that you weren't sleeping, Zero?'_

" _O-Of course I wasn't…! I-I meant that I was reminiscing or some shit like that about the good old days before I got stuck in your head of all people!"_

Tsuna chuckled softly. _'Well, regardless of whether you were asleep or not, I'm sure you'll remember everything eventually. Until that day comes, I'm glad to have… something like you keeping me company.'_

" _Kid… thanks… if I had to be completely honest, being stuck in your head isn't all that bad… though, if you actually_ _ **like**_ _the disembodied voice in your head perhaps you have gone fucking crazy after all!"_

' _Haha! Maybe you're right, Zero!'_

"… _By the way… aren't you supposed to meet up with Loud Kid and Miss Sparkles before school starts? Something about graduating or shit?"_

After taking a quick glance at the clock, Tsuna stands and bids good-bye to his mother. _'Ah, right. Today is Sasagawa-sempai's first day of middle school and Kyoko-chan and I wanted to see him off.'_

" _Ugh… I pray to God that Loud Kid won't get all emotional and shit…"_

 **III.**

"… _God must fucking hate me…"_

Tears and snot streamed down Sasagawa Ryohei's face like rivers as he stood facing his younger sister and Tsuna.

"O-Oi, Sawada!" Ryohei roars through his sniffles and cries. "A-As soon as you graduate and make it middle school, join the Namimori Boxing Club as soon as you EXTREMELY can!"

"Sure, Sasagawa-sempai…," Tsuna agrees with a nod, "I promise."

"E-EXTREME!"

"… Don't cry, Ryohei-nii!" Sasagawa Kyoko cuts in, taking out a handkerchief from her bag and handing it to her older brother. "It's not like you won't see Tsuna-kun ever again you know? I'm sure you two will still go off and train together some days and we'll still visit each other on the weekends and holidays!"

"Y-You're right, K-Kyoko…," Ryohei blubbers, taking the handkerchief and futilely wiping his face with it. "… It's just that… just… J-JUST THAT I WON'T HAVE MY BEST SPARRING PARTNER WITH ME AT NAMIMORI MIDDLE AND I'M GOING TO BE E-EXTREMELY LONELY!"

" _Oh God who resides up in Heaven… please kill me now…"_

' _Hush, Zero, the three of us are trying to have an emotional moment here.'_

" _Fucking 'emotional moment' my ass! Loud Kid's just making a scene with all his crying and screaming and it's like Miss Sparkles said, it's not like he's going overseas to fight in a goddamn war or anything! He's just going to a different fucking school! You guys won't be able to see each other for what, a good… six hours or so? That's why there's fucking cell-phones!"_

As a rather large family stumbled past the trio – the sole woman in the entourage crying loudly and waving good-bye to a rather embarrassed-looking student – Ryohei continued to wipe the manly tears running down his face and yelled, "I-I WILL EXTREMELY MISS THE BOTH OF YOU AND WE WILL HAVE A GIANT PARTY TO CELEBRATE YOUR GRADUATION ON YOUR FIRST DAY HERE!"

Tsuna smiled fondly at the white-haired teen. "I'm looking forward to it, Sasagawa-sempai."

"When you come home for dinner, I'll make your favorite beef curry, Ryohei-nii!" Kyoko chirped with a bright smile.

"E-Extreme! When the last bell rings, I will run home extremely fast for dinner, Kyoko!" More manly tears began streaming down Ryohei's face at his declaration.

Kyoko giggled softly at her brother's words. "If you do that then you're going to have to wait even longer for dinner, Ryohei-nii. I have a club meeting afterschool and won't be home until a little later."

"Th-Then I will EXTREMELY go shopping for the ingredients then!"

"Thank you!"

"EXTREME!"

"… _That's it, Kid, turn your ass around and walk away from all this sickeningly-sweet madness. I've reached my quota for how much mushy, lovey-dovey shit for the next month."_

With lips threatening to break into a smile, the brunet took a step back and said, "Sorry, Sasagawa-sempai, but, Kyoko-chan and I have to get going or we'll be late for class."

Ryohei nodded. "R-Right! You two have an EXTREMELY fun day at school! And if anything happens, call me and I will run right over to you!"

"We will, Ryohei-nii… you have a good first day of school, too!"

"G-Good-bye! I will miss the both of you E-EXTREMELY!"

" _Walk away, Kid…_ _ **please**_ _just walk away from his madness!"_

 **III.**

The next school year passes by uneventfully, much to the ire of one incorporeal passenger hanging out in Tsuna's head.

" _Oh. My. Fucking. God. I'm am fucking booored…! Let's do something, Kid, before I die from utter boredom!"_

"We _are_ doing something, Zero," Tsuna quips from the safety of his bedroom. "You're helping me with my homework."

" _I meant something fucking exciting and awesome and amazing like myself!"_

"Finishing my homework as soon as possible would be 'exciting' and 'awesome' and 'amazing' to me."

" _But not to fucking me! I could help you finish your work fucking like… ten minutes before class starts tomorrow!"_

"That's true… however, that's not what a good student does."

" _Ugh…! Kiiiiiiid…. You're fucking killing me here…."_

"That's fine, I have a feeling that you won't die from something as menial as homework. It's wouldn't be an awesome death, you know."

" _Ugh… Kiiiiiiiiiiiiid….!"_

 **IV.**

Far too soon for Tsuna's liking – but, not soon enough for Zero – the brunet is entering his first year at Namimori Middle School.

" _Fucking finally! I swear I went into hibernation or something for the past two fucking months!"_

' _I thought you said you didn't need sleep, Zero?'_

" _H-Hibernating and fucking sleeping are two completely different things, Kid!"_

' _Oh? What's the difference between them?'_

" _The first one is by choice and the second is not by choice!"_

Tsuna's brown furrowed. _'Wait a moment… does that mean that the very first time you fell asleep all those years ago and that one time last year was because you were… forced to go to sleep?'_

" _I-! I… I… don't… know…?"_

' _What can force someone like you to… 'sleep' like that?'_

" _Again, I don't fucking know, Kid… this is the first time something like this has happened to either of us so there's a shit-ton of stuff that we don't fucking know about…"_

' _Do you think it had something to do with that dream of yours last year?'_

" _Not to sound like a broken record or anything, but, I honestly don't know. It could be related to that, it could not be."_

Tsuna fell silent for a moment. _'Then… I guess there's only one thing we can do right now.'_

" _Fucking cross that bridge when we fucking get to it!"_

' _Exactly, like you taught me, there's no point in worrying over something that I don't have any control over.'_

" _True that!"_

' _In the meantime, I'll continue to do well at school and maybe I can't find something that will help me help you, Zero.'_

" _While you do that, I'll continue to make you into the most fucking bad-ass student the world has ever seen and when that's accomplished it'll be time to take fucking revenge on all the idiots that used to bully you!"_

Tsuna let out a loud sigh. _'How many times must we go over this, Zero? I do not want to get revenge on my ex-bullies.'_

"… _One of these days your soft heart is going to bite you in the ass."_

' _Then I'll deal with that when the time comes, but, until then, I'll continue to treat everyone around me with dignity and respect, no matter their past crimes.'_

"… _GOD FUCKING DAMNNIT! You're too fucking nice you know that?!"_

' _Thank you.'_

" _Yeah, yeah… fucking hurry up to class, Kid, I want you to make a fucking spectacular first impression on everyone!"_

' _Of course.'_

 **V.**

It was a bright, sunny afternoon when Tsuna's life is forever changed once more.

"… _Why the_ _ **fuck**_ _is there a gun-toting, suit-clad, baby_ _ **Hitman**_ _standing in front of us?!"_

"Ciaossu, Dame-Tsuna. My name is Reborn and I will be your new Home Tutor from now on."

Only one phrase could properly summarize the feelings of utter confusion and indignation that both Tsuna and Zero were currently experiencing:

" _WHAT THE FUCK?!"_

* * *

 **Sorry I haven't updated this in… three months or so but I wasn't sure how to continue from the previous chapter until recently.**

 **Well, we're finally moving into cannon territory – but will it stay cannon with Zero's involvement? Who knows.**

 **As always, please let me know if you've loved it or hate it via PM or review and thanks to everyone who pointed out that the timeline with Hibari wasn't right in the previous chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I.**

"You have a crush on that girl, don't you, Dame-Tsuna?"

"… _**Hah?"**_ Zero sneered, giving Tsuna the impression that if Zero had eyes they'd be rolling so hard. **"** _ **In that Hitman's fucking dream maybe! You haven't had a shitty crush on Miss Sparkles since the fifth grade! Does that Hitman have fucking eyes?! It's fucking obvious that you don't feel jack shit towards Miss Sparkles!"**_

"I used to, but, not anymore," Tsuna admitted with a shrug. "Ever since I became friends with her brother, I see Kyoko-chan as nothing more than a sister."

Reborn smirked and as Leon changed into a bright, green gun and began waving it around. "It's not good to lie to me, Dame-Tsuna. I can read minds, you know."

" _ **HAH! What a load of bullshit! If he could**_ **really** _ **'read minds' then he'd already know just how fucked up your head is with the incredible me occupying it! And why the fuck is he calling you 'Dame-Tsuna'?! You haven't been called that in years!"**_

"I'm not lying to you, Reborn-san," Tsuna said, repeating his earlier statement, "I really don't have a crush on Kyoko-chan anymore."

Reborn stared at the brunet with a blank, calculating gaze that had Zero's metaphorical ears perk up – if he had been a dog or another kind of animal that is – in suspicion and wariness.

" _ **Kid…,"**_ Zero warned, voice unusually serious, causing Tsuna to tense at the sudden severity of it, _**"You need to run. Now!"**_

Zero had never steered him wrong before and Tsuna knew that wouldn't change anytime soon. So he listened and ran, darting past a still blank-faced Reborn and sprinting down the street, still not entirely sure _why_ Zero told him to run but not really caring at the moment.

" **Duck!"**

Tsuna did so and felt… something fly centimeters where his head had been. There was a loud _crack_ as whatever it was impacted a nearby wall.

" _ **It was a fucking**_ **bullet** _ **,"**_ Zero growled from the confines of Tsuna's head. _**"That Brat is firing real, goddamn**_ **bullets** _ **at you! What the fuck?!"**_

"I wonder," Reborn said casually as he popped out of a manhole cover just feet in front of the brunet, voice light and carefree as if he were discussing the weather, "why you are not the way your father described you to be. Slow. Clumsy. Below average grades. No respect or friends. Why are you not the way he claimed you to be?"

" _ **HOW THE FLYING FUCK SHOULD WE KNOW?! THAT FUCKING BASTARD OF A FATHER YOU HAVE HASN'T BEEN HOME IN FUCKING EIGHT YEARS!"**_

"I'm sorry, Reborn-san," Tsuna said, pirouetting away from another bullet at the yelled warning of Zero, "I'm not all that close with my father – don't really remember him at all, really." He turned on his heel and took off down the narrowed alleyway that would lead to the Shopping District.

" _ **Wait, Kid! Don't go straight! Hop the chain-link fence on your left!"**_

Tsuna did and found himself landing in the dusty dirt of a small playground. He blinked and looked around. "Oh… I remember this place, it's where Kyoko-chan and I would come and play at sometimes after school…"

" _ **NO TIME FOR REMINISCING KID! THAT BABY HITMAN IS RIGHT ABOVE US!"**_

Tsuna threw himself forward and into a roll before jumping up, only to find his feet tangled in a coil of rope that tripped him and sent him sprawling to the ground.

" _ **SHIT, SHIT! MY BAD KID! I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT FUCKING ROPE TRAP WAS THERE!"**_

" _It's okay, Zero,"_ Tsuna soothed, _"I didn't break anything."_

" _ **THAT'S NOT WHY I'M CURRENTLY FREAKING THE FUCK OUT, KID!"**_

There was the sound of a gun being cocked, and Tsuna looked up to see Reborn standing over him – Leon-gun aimed in between his eyes.

"… Vongola Intuition," Reborn murmured, shadowed eyes peering down at Tsuna with renewed interest. "Tell me, when did you gain that ability, Dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna blinked twice in confusion. "… Huh? 'Vongola Intuition'…? What's that?"

Reborn hummed, lowering his gun for a moment. "… Interesting… you seem to be able to subconsciously use the Vongola Intuition but not to its' full ability…"

" _Um, Zero? Any idea what he's talking about?"_ Tsuna asked. When there wasn't an immediate answer, a sliver of dread raced up his spine. _"… Zero?"_

"Tell me," Reborn's voice drew Tsuna's attention back to the hitman. "If you were the die at this very moment, what would be your biggest regret?"

' _Losing Zero.'_ Tsuna thought.

"Losing my friends," Tsuna answered instead.

"I see…," Reborn raised the gun and placed the barrel against Tsuna's forehead. "Keep that thought in mind as you die, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Then he pulled the trigger and Tsuna died.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **II.**

Reborn didn't like surprises, unless it was him pulling the surprise on unsuspecting victims.

He liked having all information, all the cars to play, so when he realized that Sawada Tsunayoshi was the complete opposite of what his file said, Reborn was furious.

Furious, but intrigued at the same time.

If Sawada Tsunayoshi was truly not as Dame as his information had implied, then that would be that his job would be much easier – although far less enjoyable, not that he wouldn't be able to make any job fun for him.

He lowered his Leon-gun and hopped off and away from his, potential, student's body, waiting for the brunt's regrets to take effect and cause him to awaken once more.

His student did awaken, though not in the sense that he had predicted.

Sawada Tsunayoshi's eyes slowly, fluttered open – the burning, _orange_ orbs staring blankly up at the morning sky, the very sight of the color causing Reborn to grip his Leon-gun in confusion and anticipation.

What…?

Tsuna slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, eyes still trained on the blue sky above. Eventually, he dragged his gazed down to his hands and Reborn noted that the brunet's brow was furrowed in bewilderment and awe. Finally, he brought his burning gaze up to stare at Reborn with fear and blossoming anger.

" **What. The. Fuck did you do to me, you fucking Brat?"**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **III.**

Zero was _pissed_.

Pissed and terrified.

Pissed because, here he was, actually able to _feel_ and _control_ Tsuna's body in a way that he hadn't be able to before.

Terrified because if he was here, controlling Tsuna's body, then where. The. Fuck. Was. Tsuna?!

" _ **Kid?"**_ He asked, mentally searching for the brunet. _**"Hey Kid! … Tsuna? H-Hey…! If you can hear me than let me know where the fuck you are!"**_

Nothing.

Zero let out a shaky breath, vision growing dark for a moment until he realized that he had to breathe. He took in a few, shallow breathes before clenching his fists and dragging his eyes up to the asshole of a hitman that had caused this entire mess.

" **What. The. Fuck did you do to me, you fucking Brat?"**

Reborn regarded Tsuna's body – or should he refer to himself as Zero because they were two entirely different people/voices! – coolly before saying. "… You aren't Sawada Tsunayoshi."

" **No fucking shit, Brat,"** Zero drawled sarcastically. **"Whatever gave you that idea?"**

"Who are you?"

" **On no, no, no, no, no. You don't get that answer until you tell me exactly what the fuck you did to me. Why the** _ **fuck**_ **am I in control of the Kid's body? AND WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GO?!"**

"Are you referring to Tsunayoshi?"

" **OF COURSE I'M TALKING ABOUT TSUNA! WHO THE FUCK ELSE WOULD I BE TALKING ABOUT?!"**

"… The Dying Will Bullet is a special type of bullet that will resurrect a person based off their Dying Will and regrets. If someone died without any regrets, then the bullet wouldn't work." Reborn tilted his head. "I had a feeling that Tsunayoshi wasn't telling me the entire truth when I asked him what he would regret if he were to die… but, tell me, what exactly was his regret."

Zero sighed and looked down at his hands. **"… The Kid's one regret was losing me…"**

"And who are you exactly?"

" **Name's Zero. I'm that little voice in the back of the Kid's head that's kept him alive and thriving these past years."**

"Vongola Intuition."

Zero stared at Reborn with a blank look. **"I have no fucking idea what that is."**

"It's an ability that's passed through blood that allows someone to have a heightened intuition or sixth sense." Reborn peered at Zero intently. "There isn't much detailed information about the Vongola's Intuition but I don't think there have been any mention of it having a personality…"

" **That's because I'm so fucking awesome!"**

Reborn frowned and shot at the brunet who managed to dodge the bullet but went down in a flurry of flailing limbs and squawks.

It was like dealing with Skull all over again…

" **The fuck?! Why'd the fuck did you shoot at me, Brat?!"**

"Your stupidity reminded me of someone and I acted on a reflex."

" **What the fu-"**

"Regardless, everything should go back to normal-"

" **Don't you fucking ignore me you-"**

"Right about-"

" **Hey! Are you fucking listening to me you fucking Br-"**

"Now."

Zero jerked abruptly and fell backwards, limp and unconscious.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **IV.**

Clawing back to consciousness was difficult.

His mind was throbbing and his ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton and there was an incessant pounding in his eyes and he just felt like shit.

Damn… Zero's swearing was slowly rubbing off on him wasn't it…?

Tsuna groaned and managed to peel his eyes open after a few minutes of struggling.

It was dark and he was in his room, lying on his bed with his blankets pulled up to his chest. His throat felt dry and raw and he desperately wanted a cup of water-

"Here."

Tsuna turned his head and saw Reborn holding out a glass of water. "Th-Thank… you…," Tsuna managed to croak out as he grabbed the glass with trembling fingers and took a blissful, thirst-quenching sip. He cleared his throat, took a few more sips of water, and asked, "What… happened."

"An unexpected development," was Reborn's answer. "Tell me everything about Zero. When he appeared. What he's able to do. Anything and everything you can remember."

Tsuna sighed and placed the now-empty cup on his nightstand. "… Alright… but it's a long story."

"We have time."

"Okay… well, I first… 'met' Zero when he…"

* * *

 **I have no idea what I'm doing with this story. If any of you have any ideas or suggestions feel free to let me know.**

 **And, as always, let me know what you all thought via Review or PM.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I.**

"… _You can come out now, *****. He has left."_

" _Thanks for hiding me, Ira!"_

 _A soft sigh, one of fondness and exasperation. "What did you do to Valerian this time,_ _*****_ _?"_

" _Nothing too severe! The color will disappear after a few days!"_

" _*****_ _."_

" _What? Old Soren's gotten too like his namesake and needed to relax a bit more!"_

" _That was Valerian's previous name,_ _*****_ _. You should be calling him by his new name now."_

" _Bah! Just because he is now the strongest one amongst us and next in line to succeed…"_

" _Jealousy does not become you,_ _*****_ _."_

" _I'm not jealous of Soren, Ira! I just… he has… changed… a lot since we are all children… I do not like it…"_

"… _Change is inevitable,_ _*****_ _. Time is a cruel and unforgiving Master, as we all know."_

" _I… do not want things to change, Ira… your Vision… frightens me."_

" _It frightens me as well… however, that is what Fate has decided, and we must follow Her commands."_

" _Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it though…"_

 _Another sigh, warm and tender in equal measures. A hand threading his hair. "Dear,_ _*****_ _… your optimism and energy is something that brings joy and light to all of us in these dark and trying times, however…"_

" _There is always a time and a place for such actions, right?"_

" _Precisely."_

"… Fine _… I will go and apologize to Sor-_ Valerian _for my actions, Ira."_

" _Thank you,_ _*****_ _."_

" _I am only doing this because, out of all the Chosen, you are my favorite, Ira!"_

 _A giggle, soft and airy. The sound of cloth rustling. "Thank you,_ _*****_ _. Now, run along before Valerian unleashes his ire in total."_

" _Right, right… oh! And tell Caius that-"_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **II.**

"… _**Ugh… Fuck me sideways with a sledgehammer… What the fuck happened…?"**_

Tsuna shot up in bed, his body transitioning from a dead sleep to total awareness in the span of a heartbeat. "Z-Zero!" He cried out.

" _ **Shit, Kid… mental… voice… remember…? Can't have people… thinking that you're going fucking… insane now… can we…?"**_

" _A-Are you okay?! What happened to you? Where have you been?!"_

Zero's mental groan to his questions gave Tsuna the impression of someone waking up far too early or someone that was hung over.

" _ **Calm down, Kid… one… one question at a fucking time…"**_

" _Okay, okay… then: Are you okay, Zero?"_

" _ **I have no fucking idea, Kid… I may be an incorporeal voice living inside your fucking head… but… I am…**_ **feeling** _ **like shit right now… How that's possible I have no fucking idea…"**_

" _It might have something to do with the bullet that Reborn-san shot at us last week…"_

Zero growled. _**"Fuck that fucking baby Hitman… The next time I seeing that definitely**_ **not** _ **-cute face of his I swear to fucking God that I'll take that damned gun of his and shove it right up his fucking- Wait… rewind… Kid… Did you just imply that I've been…**_ **gone** _ **foR ENTIRE FUCKING WEEK?!"**_

Tsuna nodded his head and gripped his blanket in unease. _"…Yeah… I… 'woke up' in the playground that we had been shot in and when I tried to ask you what happened… you… weren't_ there _…!"_ Tsuna's knuckles turned white as he tried to keep his breathing and emotions under control, but, it was difficult to do so when he was just so relieved and thankful that Zero hadn't truly disappeared forever.

" _ **Oh man, Kid… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to up and leave you like that…"**_

" _I-It's not your fault, Zero."_ Tsuna thought with a sniffle. _"I know that… when… you finally do leave, it'll be because it's your decision not because you were…_ forced _to do it."_

Zero sighed in the brunets' head. _**"… It all comes back to that fucking, goddamned bullet, huh…? What did that Bastard of a Hitman call it…?"**_

" _Reborn-san called it the Dying Will Bullet,"_ Tsuna answered, _"it basically unlocks the Human Body's limiters granted that a person dies with a specific regret in mind."_

"… _**That's fucking insane on so many levels… Like… what the fuck would happen if you…**_ **died** _ **without a fucking regret in the world?!"**_

Tsuna shrugged, trying not to cry at Zero's familiar swearing and indignation. _"Then I guess you die, for real."_

" _ **What the actual fuck? Again.**_ **So** _ **messed up."**_

Tsuna chuckled as Zero trailed off into a series of grumbles and complaints. "… I missed you, Zero," he murmured, leaning back into his pillows.

" _ **Same here, Kid… same here…"**_

" _By the way,"_ Tsuna thought with a yawn, _"where did you go when you disappeared?"_

" _ **I… don't know. Or… maybe I don't… remember…? I'll get back to you on that, Kid. In the meantime, you need to get some fucking sleep. If my amazing memory serves me right then you got school tomorrow! We'd better not get to school and I find out that your fucking grades dropped because the awesomely, awesome me was not there to guide you!"**_

" _You mean, help me cheat."_

" _ **It's not fucking cheating if you are using all the resources at your disposal, Kid!"**_

" _Of course it isn't."_

" _ **You're damned right it isn't! Now! Off to dreamland so your body can rest and recharge for our inevitable world domination tomorrow!"**_

Tsuna chuckled and pulled his blankets up higher. _"… Hey Zero? A part of me doesn't want to go to sleep because I'm afraid you'll be gone again in the morning,"_ Tsuna confessed.

"… _**I'll be here come morning, Tsunayoshi."**_

"… _Promise…?"_ Tsuna felt like a little kid that was seeking comfort from his parents after a particularly horrible nightmare, but he didn't care. He didn't want to lose Zero. Not yet.

" _ **You know I can't promise that, Kid. Sleep. And when the morning comes, we'll see if both our wishes come true…"**_

Tsuna sniffled once more before rolling onto his side. _"… Okay… Goodnight, Zero."_

" _ **Goodnight, Tsunayoshi."**_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **III.**

The next morning, as Tsuna was helping his mother prepare breakfast – skillfully holding a conversation with her and Zero at the same time, Zero asked, _**"So where is that damned Hitman anyway? I would have thought he'd be all over your home in the time I was MIA."**_

Tsuna frowned, his lips a sharp and angry line at Zero's question. He sighed through his nose, waving off his mother's concern with a calm smile. _"I… was quite… emotional after waking up and realizing that you were gone… words were exchanged between Reborn-san and I and…"_ Tsuna trailed off with a shrug.

"… _**Oh. My. Fucking. Jesus…"**_ Zero's joy was palpable." **Please** _ **tell me that you went off on that fucking Hitman and ripped him a new asshole!"**_

Tsuna didn't answer but smirked slightly at his reflection in the kitchen window.

Zero began howling with laughter. _**"HAHAHAHA! O-Oh my fucking God, Kid! I-I wish I could have fucking seen you tearing that damned Hitman a n-new one! Ahahaha…! Wh-What did you t-tell him?!"**_

" _I don't really remember everything I said, like I said earlier, I was really emotional but I basically told Reborn-san that he needed to explain to me what he did and, after he did so, I told him that he was_ not _welcomed anywhere near my home until either you came back or I decided to listen to what he had to say."_

" _ **I am so fucking proud of you, Kid! Fucking standing up for yourself and behaving like the goddamned BOSS that I knew you always were!"**_

Zero's pleasure was infectious and soon, Tsuna found himself smiling from ear-to-ear. _"Thank you, Zero."_

" _ **Now if only you acted like that to those fucking dickwads that bullied you back in elementary and middle school!"**_

" _We've talked about this, Zero,"_ Tsuna thought with the air fondness. _"I don't want, or plan on taking, revenge against my former bullies."_

" _ **Pah! Party pooper…"**_ Zero grumbled before perking up. _**"Then! Since the awesomely, amazing me is back from-wherever-the-fuck-I-was, does that mean you're going to reach out to that fucking Hitman baby?"**_

" _Yes, I did tell Reborn-san that he would be welcomed here… if you returned."_

" _ **Great! Then act as a translator for me, Kid! I've got some…**_ **words** _ **of my own for that damned Hitman…"**_

" _Sure, Zero."_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **IV.**

"Your personification of the Vongola Intuition has returned, I take it?" Reborn asked from his seat at the Sawada dining table.

" _Zero_ has returned, yes," Tsuna answered with a tight smile as he poured the Hitman a cup of coffee. He was drinking tea himself.

"Good, any longer and I would have had to resort to drastic measures," Reborn said evenly, inclining his head slightly in thanks after the brunet finished pouring the coffee. He took a sip of coffee and continued with, "It wouldn't have been pleasant for you had I taken those drastic measures."

" _ **Oooh,"**_ Zero drawled in mock-horror, _**"I'm**_ **so** _ **scared~ What was he going to do? Kill you for real?"**_

"… I'm glad it didn't come to that in the end, Reborn-san."

Reborn stared at Tsuna for a moment. "What," he began, "do you know about your father and his place of employment."

" _ **Sawada Iemitsu. Sex: Male. Age: 38. Height: 6' 2". Weight: 187.4 lbs. Hair color: Blond. Eye color: Brown. Occupation: A so-called 'construction worker' that has 'projects' and 'contacts' in places that even a fucking**_ **child** _ **would realize is wrong! A moronic, jackass that places work above family. Hasn't been home in over eight fucking years. Sends a letter,**_ **maybe** _ **, twice a year. Calls home at least once a month. Doesn't send gifts even on holidays or birthdays or fucKING ANNIVERSARIES! A COMPLETE AND UTTER TRASH OF A HUMAN BEING MUCH LESS A HUSBAND AND FATHER AND I AM SERIOUSLY GETTING THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS WHOLE FIASCO IS THAT FUCKING MAN'S FAULT!"**_

"… He certainly is _not_ a construction worker as he claims to be in all the letters he sends home," Tsuna answered. "He hasn't been home in over eight years and rarely sends letters and calls. It all gives me the impression that his job is either: highly secretive, maybe he has a high-rank in the Japanese government or it's highly… illegal. I've entertained the fact that, maybe, he's on the run from the Yakuza or other crime organization because he, maybe, owes them a large amount of money or something along those lines."

"… You are not that far off, Tsunayoshi," Reborn revealed. "Instead of thinking that Iemitsu is on the run from organized crime groups because he owes them money, think of it as the opposite."

"That people are on the run from him because they own him a lot of money. So, instead of running away from the Yakuza or the like, my father is the Yakuza."

"Mafia, actually." Reborn corrected, taking a sip of his coffee.

" _ **OF FUCKING COURSE THAT BASTARD IS IN THE GODDAMNED**_ **MAFIA** _ **OF ALL FUCKING THINGS!"**_

"That is certainly unexpected." Tsuna murmured.

"But not entirely surprising, correct?"

Tsuna shrugged, picking up his cup and drinking from it. "It's not hard to piece everything together if one has enough information and a little creativity." He placed his drink down and clasped his hands together on the table. "So, is it safe to assume that you being here has something to do with my Father? Though I can't imagine why you would travel all this way to Japan for someone like me… unless… Vongola Intuition… you mentioned that phrase numerous times. You also said that it is some kind of ability… an ability restricted by genetic or blood, perhaps?"

"… You certainly are quite different than what my files indicate, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna smiled. "I have worked hard to shed my bad reputation as 'Dame-Tsuna'."

"I can tell… to answer your question: Yes. The reason why I'm here is directly linked to your father and his lineage. I am here to train and prepare you to become the next Don of the Vongola Family."

"… _**Don: a title of respect that's based off the Italian word donno meaning lord. Both have roots in the Latin word, dominus. A title that now commonly used to refer to the leaders in the Mafia. Vongola… fucking… clams? He wants you to become the next fucking leader of the**_ **Clam** _ **Family?! Pfft… Ahahahaha!"**_

"What would happen if I refuse, Reborn-san?"

"I'm sure your… creative mind could come up with some scenarios." Reborn retorted, watching as the brunet lean back in his seat with a hum.

"… _What do you think, Zero?"_

" _ **Hahaha! H-Hold on, Kid… let me just… PFFT… okay, okay, okay… hahaha… w-well… from what I can tell, the Hitman's telling the truth."**_

" _He called you the Vongola Intuition… This might be the only opportunity we have to find out more about you Zero, and how you came to be in my head of all people."_

" _ **True… but you know how I feel about my so-called past, Kid. Don't give a fucking, flying penny about all that shit."**_

" _But I care about it, Zero."_

" _ **It's your fucking body, Kid. You can do whatever the fuck you want. I'm not going to stop you."**_

" _It may be my body,"_ Tsuna thought, _"but it's also your home as well, Zero, and I don't want to do anything that you won't like or agree to…"_

" _ **I honestly don't care one way or another, Kid. You do you."**_

" _Zero…"_

"Your mental conversation is taking too long," Reborn announced, leveling his Leon-gun at the brunet. "Shall I shoot you with the Dying Will Bullet again to see your answer?"

Something unexpected happened.

Tsuna's body gave a long, visible _jerk_ –

-for a split-second, appearing to move in two different directions-

-his eyes flashed a bright, burning _orange_ -

-Tsuna stood and-

-swayed, _tilted_ dangerously to the side as if he had lost all balance or wasn't used to standing at all-

-" **N-O!"** -

-Tsuna's leg ended up buckling from under him and he crashed to the ground with a loud curse and thrashing limbs.

" **OW! GOD. FUCKING. DAMN IT THAT FUCKING** _ **HURTS**_ **! Jesus fucking Christ! Why do I feel so goddamned heavy and slow all of a fucking second?! And why are we on the goddamned floor, Kid?! Get the fuck up, Kid!"**

 _[… Um… Zero…? I think… we somehow… switched places…?]_

" **WH-WHAT THE FUCK?!"** Zero screeched." **WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY IN** _ **MY**_ **HEAD, KID?!"**

There was the sound of the hammer of a gun being drawn back and Zero looked up to see the dark eyes of Reborn staring down at him from the other end of a bright green gun. "… Ciaossu… it's nice to meet you again, _Zero_ … have a seat. I have some questions for you."

 _[Sorry, Zero. After I woke up a week ago and told Reborn that I'd only listen to what he had to say either after you came back or I decided it was time to hear him out, I promised him that – if you came back – that I'd answer his questions if I could… but… now… Are… Are you mad at me, Zero…?]_

"… _**Not in the fucking slightest, Kid… this is actually perfect because…"**_ Zero slowly pushed Tsuna's – his? – body up into a better position and it – he? – grinned boldly at the Hitman. **"I have some goddamn things to say to you too, you fucking Bastard!"**

* * *

 **Thank you ADDBaby for giving me the idea of Tsuna and Zero being able to switch 'places' at any given time – although they can't control it 100% right now, but, after some Spartan training with Reborn… who knows? It was something I was toying with but ADDBaby's suggestions really cemented that idea for me so thank you ADDBaby!**

 **Fun Fact: Zero was actually intended to by the Dying Will Mode version of Tsuna – you know, the one that goes "DO [insert action here] WITH MY DYING WILL!" but then he became something different because, no, Zero is** _ **not**_ **the Hyper Dying Will version of Tsuna because I have a plan for that. He just has orange eyes because of Tsuna's Sky Flames and-**

… **Well I can't exactly spoil future chapters** _ **too**_ **much, now can I?**

 **Though I will say that Tsuna and Zero's 'switching' won't be voluntary all of the time. There will be instances where Reborn has to shot them with the Dying Will Bullet.**

 **As always, let me know that you all thought via Review or PM!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I.**

" **Wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Let me get this fucking straight… You're telling me that the Kid's only heir left that can be the next Don of the Clam Family or fucking whatever-"**

" _Vongola,_ " Reborn replied, lips pursued and eyes narrowed.

" **-** _ **and**_ **that he's a direct descendant of the goddamned Mafia Jesus or something that unified the fucking Mafia under one rule under God-"**

"Incorrect, the Vongola Primo didn't 'unite' them more so made alliances with them and-"

" **-** _ **and**_ **there's this weird bloodline limit, kekkei genkai or something that allows certain members of the Clam Family to essentially read fucking** _ **minds**_ **-"**

 _[Naruto reference, nice.]_

"If you were paying attention then you would know that the Vongola Intuition is not an omnipotent ability, as you are mistakenly believing it to be, and that there have been documented cases where-"

" **-** _ **but**_ **you said earlier that there haven't been any records of this Vongola Mind Reading ability having a personality that's as awesome and amazing as the incredible me!** _ **Also**_ **-"**

A bullet shot past Zero's face, barely nicking the skin, and embedding itself into the far wall of kitchen.

Reborn didn't say anything, merely glared at an unrepentant, preening, grinning Zero.

" **Oh?"** Zero asked with a low drawl, tilting his head with mock-innocence, orange eyes shining with glee and triumph. **"Am I…** _ **annoying**_ **you? I am** _ **so**_ **sorry! I didn't think that my** _ **innocent**_ **questions would be** _ **infuriating**_ **you,** _ **wonderful**_ **Hitman** _ **-san.**_ **"**

Reborn glowered at the brunet for a moment longer, before wiping his expression clean and standing up. "… I must thank you, _Zero_ ," he said, walking towards Zero.

"… **For what,"** Zero asked warily, eyes narrowing as he scooted back in his chair.

Reborn stopped in front of Zero. "Thanks to you, I can move forward with the second phase of Tsunayoshi's training."

"… **What are you planning, you Bas-URRKK?!"** Zero's question was abruptly ended as Reborn's foot made contact with his stomach, sending him tumbling backwards and out of his chair, all the wind knocked out of him. **"Gu-Ugh… What the fuc-"**

Reborn connected another kick to the brunet's abdomen, which sent the teen flying out the sliding, glass doors that led to the Sawada household's backyard.

"Training," Reborn began ominously, Leon-gun in hand, "has begun… try not to die, _Zero._ "

He began shooting.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **II.**

" **LISTEN UP YOU LITTLE DEMON BABY! STOP FUCKING SHOOTING AT ME FOR FUCKS SAKE!"**

"Well, if you actually learned how to properly dodge said bullets, then I would stop shooting you," Reborn replied smoothly from his seat, still managing to shoot at Zero even though the Hitman wasn't even looking at him. It had been roughly over three hours since they had began the second phase of 'training'.

" **WELL MAYBE IF YOU JUST GAVE ME A CHANCE TO REST AND CATCH MY GODDAMNED BREATH THEN MAYBE I'D ACTUALLY, OH I DON'T KNOW, BE ABLE TO FUCKING** _ **DODGE**_ **INSTEAD OF JUST FLAILING AROUND LIKE A GODDAMN LUNATIC?! HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF THAT?!"**

"Thought of it. Ignored it."

" **WHAT THE FUC-"**

"If you have enough breath to complain so raucously and vigorously, then that must mean that you have enough breath to continue this training exercise." Reborn took a sip of the cold juice that Nana had prepared for him a few minutes ago.

" **WHAT FUCKING PART OF THIS IS FUCKING** _ **TRAINI**_ **-"**

"It's training for your body and motor skills."

" **DON'T YOU FUCKING IGNORE ME YOU SHITTY-"**

"Compared to Tsunayoshi, your ability to even function properly – much less dodge these… slow bullets-"

" **WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR FUCKING DEFINITION OF SLOW?!"**

"-is so pathetic, it makes the information I received on Tsunayoshi when he was considered Dame-Tsuna, look extraordinary in comparison."

" **WELL OF COURSE, TSUNA'S FUCKING BADASS NOW! THAT'S THE FUCKING RESULTS OF YEARS OF DEDICATION AND HARD WORK!"**

"Now, if we could only get you to the same level."

 _[… I think Reborn-san has a point, Zero]_ Tsuna spoke up from within Zero's mind. _[Since it appears that we're going to be dragged into this whole Mafia affair, with or without our consent, wouldn't it be better to go into… all this with an open-mind and willingness to learn and grow?]_

" _ **EASY FOR YOU TO SAY, KID! YOU AIN'T THE ONE HAVING TO ENDURE THE DEMON'S SO-CALLED 'TRAINING'!"**_

 _[True, but, it is my body and once we switch back, I'll be the one that has to deal with the pain and fatigue… but…]_

"… _**Hold on a fucking minute… that…"**_

 _[Doesn't make a lot of sense, right? You're basically moving my body which has been trained in dance and martial arts for the past years. I'm thinking that Reborn-san's… training is just a way for you to focus on bettering your reaction time and reflexes when in control of my body because, since you haven't had a body of your own, some things are not going to be automatic or second nature for you like it is for me.]_

" _ **Like goddamn**_ **breathing** _ **…"**_ Zero grumbled mentally.

 _[And also, you aren't used to_ having _a body which means that you're going to feel heavy and sluggish because you aren't used to having arms and legs. But, if you learn how to move my body to the same extent that I can then things will be much easier in the future, right?]_

" _ **... So… by shooting at me and not giving me any time to think or react, I'm actually getting a fucking crash course in the ability to move your body properly!"**_

Tsuna nodded… then remembered that he didn't have a currently which was strange no mattered how you looked at it. _[Exactly, what better way to improve your reflexes than to train your reflexes?]_

" **Oh my fucking God… That's fucking insane on so many goddamn levels but it makes so much fucking sense…"**

"Oh?" Reborn murmured, turning to look at an out-of-breath Zero. "Have you and Tsunayoshi figured it out?"

" **Ahahaha! Of course we did! We're both onto you and your fucking agenda you fucking, shitty Hitman!"**

Reborn hummed and, mercifully, stopped shooting at Zero, who collapsed with a grateful curse. Reborn leapt from the veranda and landed in front of a panting brunet. "Tsunayoshi's mobility, flexibility, and combat skills are all above civilian level which is good, considering his age; however, if you were to take over while in the midst of a battle or conflict, your lack of control over the human body is something that could end in the deaths of both you and Tsunayoshi." Reborn tilted his head, eyes shadowed by the brim of his fedora. "That is something neither of you want."

It was a statement.

" **Of… fucking… course not…,"** Zero panted, gulping in large amounts of air with every breath. Goddamn…! He didn't realize just what a fucking chore it was to simply _breath_!

 _[… Sorry, Zero… because of me, you're in this state…]_

" _ **Don't you dare fucking apologize for things you could not – cannot – control, Tsunayoshi,"**_ Zero growled mentally, scowling. _**"Besides, as much as it fucking**_ **pains** _ **me to admit it, the fucking Demon baby is right… if something happens to you mentally and I'm your last line of defense – as I am right now – we're both royally Fucked, with a capital F. No fucking way am I letting even the**_ **possibility** _ **of that happening to you, Kid."**_

 _[Zero…]_

Zero sprang to his feet with a maniacal laugh. **"Hehe… AHAHAHA! You know what?! This is actually pretty fucking great! Now that I have control of your body, Kid that means…"** He trailed off, orange-colored eyes glinting devilishly, **"I CAN FINALLY GET MY REVENGE ON THE BASTARDS THAT BULLIED YOU ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL!"**

 _[WHAT?! Zero! No!]_

Zero continued laughing like a madman.

 _[Zero?! Zero! G-Goddamnit, Zero we talked about this!]_

" **There's no stopping me now, Kid! I have the memory of like an elephant! I remember everything! All those idiots that took advantage of you when you were a fucking child are going to face some goddamn divine retribution from my two-"**

Zero's body did something strange; his arm lifted up, as if it had a mind of its' own, and… smacked him in the face, downing him in one strike.

"… Pathetic." Reborn said, eyeing the unconscious form of the brunet. "Note to self: improve Zero's endurance, agility, reflexes, and pain tolerance." A smirk, bloomed slowly on his face. "… While I may not have to put in as much work with Tsunayoshi, with you, Zero, I'll have a fun time tortur- _tutoring_ you…"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **III.**

Despite Zero's penchant for swearing and complaining whenever he had "training" with Reborn, he always participated and never gave up and, within a couple of months, his inability to walk more than five feet without stumbling improved drastically, as did his reaction time and fine motor skills.

" **Hahaha! Look at that! I can write amazingly now!"**

 _[Great job, Zero!]_

"… No good, it looks like it was written by a third-grader…"

" **WHY DON'T YOU SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU GODDAMN BASTARD?!"**

"I already did."

He could write now.

" **Behold my exquisite masterpiece!"**

 _[It looks delicious, Zero!]_

"… Looks aren't everything. The important thing is how it tastes."

" **I'm sure it'll taste fucking amazing just like the amazing me!"**

"… Perhaps I should teach you how to make poisons."

He could cook.

" **Hey look what I found in the attic! A fucking archery set! I'm gonna try it!"**

 _[… Wow…! That's incredible, Zero! All bulls-eyes!]_

"Hmm… looks like we found a good weapon of choice for Zero… we shall see if your unexpected skill translates into other ranged weapons."

He even discovered an unforeseen aptitude for the bow and arrow.

" **Heh… I've become even more fucking awesome than I already was!"**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **IV.**

It was two hours past the ending of school. There were only a few weeks left before the first term ended and the grades were announced. Tsuna was taking off his indoor shoes, ready to go home for a rare day of relaxation.

" _ **Hey, Kid."**_ Zero spoke up from within Tsuna's mind.

" _Yes? Is everything alright, Zero?"_

" _ **You need to get up to the school roof. Now."**_

There was an urgency in Zero's voice that had Tsuna jogging down the empty hallways and pass unoccupied classrooms before the voice even finished speaking. He wouldn't be caught by the Disciplinary Committee, not when Zero acted as a warning radar for him. Tsuna reached the stairs leading up and to the school roof, and climbed, opening the metal door once he reached the top, and stepping into the restricted area.

Restricted only because it was the napping grounds for one Hibari Kyoya, and everyone knew not to bother the prefect when he was napping – lest they be sent to the infirmary via twin tonfa.

At the moment, however, there was no prefect to be found, only the large, empty rooftop and someone standing on the other side of the ten foot chain-link fence that ran the perimeter of the rooftop.

"Yamamoto… Takeshi?" Tsuna asked, not believing what he was seeing for a moment.

Takeshi turned at hearing his name, and smiled – empty and vacant. "Oh… it's just you, Sawada."

Tsuna's heart was hammering in his chest; his palms suddenly became clammy with sweat. He had a gut wrenching feeling that he knew what was going to happen next if he wasn't incredibly careful. "What… What are you doing, Yamamoto-san…?" He asked. "Y-You need to be careful! How did you even climb over the safety fence?!"

Takeshi shrugged despondently and turned back to look out and across Namimori. A gentle breeze ruffled his dark hair and untucked shirt. "… Does it matter?" He asked after an eternity of silence.

"O-Of course it matters!" Tsuna answered, a bolt of indignation and fear racing up his spine as he took a step forward. His hands wavered uncertainly in front of his body, unsure if they should reach out towards the baseball player or clench together in panic.

Takeshi shook his head, long and slow. "… No… nothing really matters… not anymore…"

Tsuna took another step forward. There was only a few more feet to go. Tsuna gulped, his throat growing tight with fear. "What… what makes you say that, Yamamoto-san…?"

Takeshi took a deep, shuddering breath that made his whole body tremble. "My… my old man is… is… _dead_." The last word was whispered so softly, that, had Tsuna not been straining his ears, he wouldn't have heard it.

"… _Oh_."

"Yeah. _Oh_." Takeshi laughed – it was bitter and hollow. "I don't have any family left. My grades aren't good. I might be kicked off the baseball team soon. I have no fucking idea what's going to happen to me or my- the sushi shop… Everything… everything's gone so… so _wrong_ so fast! And I don't know-!" He doubled-over, causing Tsuna to wheeze in terror, clutching at his chest. "I…!"

" _Z-Zero?!"_ Tsuna thought hysterically.' _I-I don't know what to o-or… Oh my god…! Wh-What do I do?!"_

" _ **Breathe, Tsunayoshi, breathe,"**_ Zero said in a soothing murmur. _**"Let me… Let me take over, Tsunayoshi. I… think I know what to do…"**_

Tsuna exhaled, long and shaky, and closed his eyes. _"… Okay…"_

Zero inhaled, long and determined, and opened his eyes.

"… **Yamamoto Takeshi."** Dead, empty amber met burning, resolute orange. **"Losing someone that is family or you consider family is the absolute, fucking worst feeling you will ever feel in your entire life."**

"… How would you know how I feel, Sawada? Y-You've never lost anyone in your entire life!" In a show of anger, Takeshi turned around and gripped the chain-link fence. "You have people that still care about you! You aren't about to get kicked out of school because of your grades or from a sport you've put your entire body and soul into! You don't have to worry about where you're going to live or what's going to happen to your home!"

" **You're right,"** Zero agreed easily, surprising Takeshi for a moment, **"but w-** _ **I**_ **was, once upon time, a no-good, nobody… Remember my old nickname? Dame-Tsuna? At that point in my life, I was nothing. An outcast. Failing grades. No friends. Bullied day in and day out… Hell, my own** _ **mother**_ **said that she wished she had a different son! It's a goddamn miracle that I didn't find myself in that same spot a long, long time ago."**

"S-Sawada…"

" **And…,"** Zero continued, solemn, **"I** _ **do**_ **know what it's like to lose someone you love."**

 _[Zero…?]_

" **I was… incredibly close to a group of people; a long, long time ago… they took me in when I had nothing and no one. They gave me a home. A purpose in life. A** _ **family**_ **."** Zero's eyes slid shut. **"We were all so…** _ **happy**_ **together…"**

Takeshi swallowed once. Twice. Humbled by the sudden melancholy, tender tone that Tsuna had taken. "What… what happened?"

Zero opened his eyes, pinning Takeshi with a hard stare. **"They died,"** he revealed. **"They died and I-"** He trailed off abruptly and shook his head, pressing two fingers to his temple, brow furrowed in concentration and pain.

 _[Zero?]_

"Sawada?"

" **I-"** Zero shook his head once more." **You gotta have some people that care about you, Takeshi. Death is permanent. It's the end. Once you die, there's no coming back from it… Aren't there people that'll miss you and mourn for you if you go through with this?"**

"No." Takeshi shook his head quickly. "No one would care if I died."

"… **What about your teammates? Wouldn't they care if you did this?"**

Takeshi laughed – a bitter sounding sound – and bowed his head. "No. Those guys would be happy if I just disappeared…"

" **Why?"**

Takeshi's grip on the chain-link fence tightened. "They… Those _bastards_ only became… friends with me because of my abilities and… _popularity_ … I learned that they actually hate me and were jealous of my skills. They don't care about me… They were only nice to me because I was the _Ace_ … no one cares about me…"

"… **What about the customers of your father's sushi shop? Who would make their orders the way they want it if you aren't around?"** The baseball player stiffened at the brunet's words. **"What about your supporters and baseball fans? The little kids who look up to you and want to be just like you when they grow up? What about your classmates? The ones that admire you from afar because they're too scared to approach you? What about your coach? Hasn't he supported you and believe in you throughout your baseball career? Wouldn't he be devastated if you were gone? …What about us?"**

Takeshi's head snapped up, his amber-colored eyes wide with shock and guilt and disbelief. "Wh-What…?" He breathed.

" **I know we don't exactly know each other that well, but, we care about you, Takeshi. We'd be sad if we had to go to your funeral. Besides,"** here Zero grinned, dangerous and vengeful, **"if you die here then how will you get revenge on those bastards who you thought were your teammates?"**

 _[Zero…!]_

Zero crossed the remaining space between them in four long strides and peered deeply into Takeshi's eyes. **"Live, Yamamoto Takeshi."** He said, grinning widely. Fiercely. Brilliantly. **"Live for the people that look up to you, that are counting on you, that care about you. And once you've become the successful motherfucker that I know you will be, turn the tables on the people that wanted to use you to further their own goals. Make them regret that they ever took advantage of you like that."** He reached out his right hand and placed it over Takeshi's left. **"Live so that way you can have the satisfaction of them realizing just how far you went without them dragging you down."**

"Sawada…"

Several things happened at once.

Zero's head swiftly jerked to the left, eyes wide and furious-

There was a distant popping sound.

Takeshi suddenly lost his footing-

He looked surprised for a heartbeat, eyes wondering why his foot was sinking, before gravity began pulling him down, down, down, _down-_

Zero let out a shout, falling to his knees as if he could somehow, magically, reach through the chain-link fence and grab Takeshi before it was too late-

Tsuna screamed in his head – shrill and devastated.

There was a second, distant popping sound.

Tsuna felt an abrupt wave of calming, assurance overcome him-

He closed his eyes-

A Flame burst to life on his forehead-

He opened his sunset eyes and blurred into action. His hands were coated in bright, orange Flames and when he grabbed hold of the chain-link fence, the metal melted away, leaving an opening large enough for him to squeeze through-

Zero had a mere second to panic before he felt something take hold of him and then he was-

Drifting away, away, _away_ then-

Nothing.

* * *

 **Gokudera was supposed to appear in this chapter but then Yamamoto came barreling in. Also wasn't planning on killing off Tsuyoshi but…**

 **¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯**

 **We'll see where my muse takes this unexpected development.**

 **Any guesses as to what the heck Zero was talking about?** _ **He's lost people**_ **? Isn't he just a disembodied voice? Hehe…**

 **And any guesses as to what caused Takeshi to fall so suddenly?**

 **As always, please let me know what you all thought via Review or PM!**


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